Although diversity of college students may be desirable, the mix of widely differing characteristics, needs, and attendance patterns makes it very difficult to create community and strong peer group relations. When colleges create conditions for strong student bonds and involvement, they may contribute to higher retention. (MSE)

College leaders can be symbols of moral unity for their institutions. The leader must have a vision of the institution's ethical life, then be able to create and sustain it in the campus community. Strategic planning can help resolve conflicts constructively, based on values expressed in the mission statement. (MSE)

Effective leadership in the community college demonstrates good principles of teaching, fosters leadership in others, manages change effectively and efficiently, and creates community; good community college leaders possess the characteristics of master teachers, mentors, agents for change, and community builders. (MSE)

At Southern Methodist University, traditionally considered an exclusive college, minority enrollment is at an all-time high and efforts have been made to create services and activities to accommodate African Americans. Administrative commitment is clear. However, problems persist in creating a welcoming community for students and faculty. (MSE)

Responding to diminished public esteem means intensifying efforts to create an ethical college climate. Educators face these ethical challenges: managing institutions ethically; teaching ethics to students, both in class and in dealing with student behavior in an educational setting; and serving as ethical leaders for the wider community. (MSE)

Challenges for college students in the military include becoming socialized, identifying with the institution, learning to cope with both military and educational demands, and planning for another career. To succeed in serving this population well, institutions must address all these needs. (MSE)

Survey of undergraduate women (n=659) indicated questioning of previously held stereotypical views about gender and dawning awareness of alternative perspectives and active rejection of male supremacist values and beliefs and search for a positive self-affirming definition of womanhood attitudes were inversely related to perceptions of…

It is argued that higher education institutions can play a major role in health care reform by providing campus cultures that foster healthy lifestyle choices and in turn reduce medical costs. Specific issues discussed include elimination of unnecessary tests, focus on special high-risk populations, and use of advance directives. (MSE)

Campus vandalism has become extremely costly for colleges and universities. Most vandalism occurs on weekends and during special events and is committed by both students and outsiders. Its results affect the entire campus community, either immediately or in increased costs. Successful preventive measures include penalties, police patrols, and good…

Pennsylvania's 10-year-old system of 14 state-owned universities has focused on increasing the stature and character of individual institutions, limited centralization, and fostered cohesion and cooperation rather than competition, particularly in difficult economic conditions. (MSE)

Colleges and universities, once largely homogeneous communities, are being transformed by the new diversity of their populations, and sense of community is endangered by racial and ethnic grouping. "Emancipatory knowledges" (critical, feminist, postcolonial views of community) provide a framework and language for building a community…

This article offers information and suggestions to administrators on dealing with cults on college campuses. Reasons why students are vulnerable to cults as well as cult recruitment techniques and ways to help students make informed choices are considered. Print, organizational, and videotape resources are identified. (DB)

Assessments of campus climates can be difficult and be accomplished by several methods, according to purpose. However, a well-designed survey can yield comprehensive and substantive data about the characteristics of people in the institution, workings of programs and policies, and interaction of these elements to inform institutional decision…

Twenty-seven key resources for understanding, researching, and managing organizational climates and cultures are cited and described. The articles, books, and monographs reflect a relatively recent wave of interest in culture as a tool for understanding organizational settings. (Author/MSE)

The charge that there is thought control and intimidation in the college classroom must be examined more closely. There are times when politics overtakes "correctness" on the campus, but it is more often the students intimidating the teachers, through choice of courses, than the other way around. (MSE)